After a successful All-Star week, Jim Pohlad seeks more wins

7/18/2014Sports Over Beers, episode 24. Jim Souhan on trade deadline for the Twins
Jim Souhan joins the Sports Over Beers podcast for some plausible Twins trade scenarios. This episode was recorded at Brothers in downtown Minneapolis, and is sponsored by Shock Top -- Live Life Unfiltered. The Twins should be trade-deadline sellers, the question is whether or not they’ll realize that in time. Which players should the Twins look to trade? Josh Willingham, Kendrys Morales, Kevin Correia, Kurt Suzuki? Who are some that aren’t getting talked about much who could or should be moved? Trade candidates or not: Sam Deduno? Trevor Plouffe? Casey Fien?
Souhan’s top-3 trade options. Can Josmil Pinto be the Twins catcher of the future or should the Twins extend Suzuki? -- Will Terry Ryan and Ron Gardenhire be here this time next year? What do you think about these roles: Paul Molitor manager, Tom Kelly bench coach. Robin Yount? -- The guys take a walk down memory lane with some obscure Twins from the past, including a story about a former ballplayer and potential drug dealer. How did the steroid era slip by largely unnoticed for a while? -- Outlining the Elbow Empowerment Program. What’s the next ‘Moneyball,’ or market inefficiency?
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MINNEAPOLIS - Coming off a major victory in its own right, Twins owner Jim Pohlad is looking for more.

By many accounts, this week's All-Star Game at Target Field was a success, a win for the Twins organization and the city of Minneapolis. Pohlad called it a 10, for the weather, the game and the handling of Derek Jeter's final All-Star moments. And while that win is nice, it's probably not the one he's most concerned with now.

What he's looking for out of the break from the Twins is simple.

"Win. That's what it comes down to," Pohlad said before Friday's game, while watching the Twins take batting practice on the field.

Twins general manager Terry Ryan, manager Ron Gardenhire and several players have said that this 10-game home stand will be critical in determining if the Twins should make a push this season for the playoffs, or sell off parts to aid any futures runs. Some feel the question remains unanswered whether they will be "buyers" or "sellers" at this year's non-waiver trade deadline.

Given that the deadline is less than two weeks away, does Pohlad think this is a critical home stand?

"No. ... Is this a pivotal home stand? I don't see it that way. Maybe those guys see it that way, I don't know."

He hasn't been in contact with Ryan since before the All-Star break, but that's not atypical, he said.

Ryan and Gardenhire, perhaps understandably, see this home stand as an important one.

"[The players] are talking about trying to keep this thing together and all that stuff. That's a normal conversation after the All-Star break for every team. They don't want to lose their teammates," Gardenhire said.

"They know it all goes to how we play on the field. ... They're all good buddies and everything but we've got to win baseball games. Whatever it takes to get this organization in the right shape and the right place."

With the roster he was given, did Gardenhire think they could have had a better first half?

"Yeah, I really did. I just thought we were a little inconsistent," Gardenhire said. He mentioned the starting pitching, some individual underperforming and injuries as reasons the Twins were six games below .500 entering the All-Star break.